Tornadoes kill at least 13 in southwest Georgia

Monday, February 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CAMILLA, Ga. (AP) -- Tornadoes slashed through southwest Georgia early today, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 100. The Mitchell County town of Camilla appeared to be hardest hit, with a tornado cutting a 5-mile path through a housing development south of town. "It's like somebody took a bulldozer and leveled it," volunteer firefighter Mikie Newsome said.

He and his father had watched a large dark funnel cloud dip down about three miles from their house near Camilla, about 200 miles south of Atlanta. "All you heard was a roar, woo-woo-woo," said Johnny Jones, whose mobile home south of Camilla was lifted up and thrown on it sside. He said he freed his 14-year-old son, who was pinned under a washing machine, and they crawled out a window.

Newsome estimated that 50 to 60 homes were demolished, 90 per cent of them mobile homes. Six people were reported dead in Mitchell County, but some officials said they expected that number to rise. Six more were confirmed dead in Grady County, and one in Colquitt County. Search and rescue teams went into the area to look for more dead and injured. "You just don't know until you turn over all the trees and houses and dig through the rubble," said Grady County Administrator Rusty Moye, who confirmed the six deaths in his county.

Mitchell County Hospital said it treated as many as 100 people, but had to send many of them to nearby cities because of a power outage. Willie Nelson said his three-bedroom house near Camilla was carried about a quarter of a mile by the storm, but he only suffered abrasions. "The whole house came up and I came up with it," said Nelson, 41. "I was just praying to the Lord to take care of me."

High wind and hail also caused scattered damage in much of Alabama, including widespread damage in Cullman, and knocked out power to an estimated 22,000 customers. The roof was blown off Charlie Jones' house in Ada, Ala. "I will not rebuild," Jones said today. "This is the third time my house has been blown away. I'm done at this corner."

Strong wind in thunderstorms also destroyed at least six houses in Arkansas and injured two people. Trees and power lines also were down in parts of Mississippi and Tennessee, where one woman was injured by wind-blown debris. The stormy weather was part of a line of thunderstorms, showers and snow that pushed across the eastern third of the nation. By this morning, rain stretched along the East Coast from Florida to New England. Six inches of snow had fallen in Maine, closing scores of schools, and up to 18 inches of snow was possible by late tonight.